Anonymous: "Jackson teaches Tenley how to swim"

Soon for more TGO, but I had the chance to catch up a little tonight, and I figured I'd take it…Not really formed too much in my head yet but formed enough. Jackson/Tenley is hard for Early Years stuff because it's not like he didn't love her, but I want to show the distance…so with that, here it is..

100 Encore, Day 73: "Buddies"

"Babe….why is she scared?" Jackson eyed April behind him and asked through gritted teeth.

April shrugged, running in their in-ground pool after Arabella. "She's two. I worked until eight months ago. You taught this one…" she gestured toward Bellie. "I'll get them in classes if…" she let her sentence trail off. Yesterday evening had been great, she needed it. But it was day three and she felt no closer to making a choice. She actually did have a time limit, though.

"Arabella, slow down…you know the pool rules, wait for mama." April didn't mess with floaties. The girls were allowed in tubes and to play with toys, but an adult had to have eyes or hands on them at all times. She'd seen too many horrors in her E.R. because parents got too comfortable.

"C'mon, princess….just come to daddy….I'm gonna hold you…I'm gonna teach you how to swim like Bellie. I taught her…don't you wanna swim like your sister?"

"No I don't!" Tenley shook her head at the top of the stairs.

"Do you want to learn to swim better than Bellie?" He fake whispered, and got half a smile.

"Hey!" Bellie shrieked and splashed her dad, instantly triggering a counter-attack.

"Jackson!" April screamed, the instant her husband's eyes left Tenley. "Eyes on your swim buddy!"

"Come on, Tee! I need a water fight buddy, apparently…you in?"

"No fightin'."

"Ok, no fighting Tenley girl. Show daddy your bubbles. I know you blow the best bubbles…Doesn't she Bellie?"

"Oh, yeah!" Bellie nodded. "Show daddy you bubbles and den he don't hab to teachie you dat, jus' teachie you kickin'."

"Come on, Tee. I just wanna play sweet girl. Don't you want to play with me?"

"Yes I do! We blow bubbles."

"Ok, just blow bubbles, come on, I'm right here." Slowly, Tenley finally entered the water.

She giggled with relief when he lifted her up, as promised. She kissed his cheek. "Thank you! Can you show me bubbles? Let's have a contest. Bellie, are you ready?"

"No I not! I knows to do dat and I 'loud to throw a ball an catch wit mommy…"

"Ew fine then, attitude…Tee show me, how big can you blow bubbles?"

She let Jackson put her down and put her face in the water, blowing as many bubbles as her little breath would allow her to. "Wow, Bellie had no shot anyway, not against you! Those were the biggest bubbles I've ever seen!"

Tenley squealed. "Look, Mama! Look…" She showed them, again and again and again. She wasn't kidding about just blowing bubbles. But Jackson saw the fear. While he had time he really did want to teach her as much as he could.

"You are doing so good, Tee. What else can you do though? Can youuuu….hide your face in he water and come back up? I'm right here watching, promise."

"Yes I can," she nodded and did as she was asked.

As Jackson suspected, fear was what was holding her back. Once she got more comfortable in the water, and as much as he hated to admit it, more comfortable with him, things went pretty fast.

"Wow! You're kicking like a champ, princess! I think it's time to swim. Do you wanna swim? You jump like we practiced before….but instead of jumping into daddy's arms I'm gonna put my hand under your belly while you kick, OK?"

But the fear that seemed to take so long to go away came back instantly. "No! Mama! No pease! No swimmin' mama!"

April was in the middle of fighting with Bellie. She refused to throw her up in the air and catch her, and the diva was not backing down from the fight.

"What sweetie? Swim with daddy. Swim to me. I'm right here. Daddy won't let you go. I promise. We promise, right daddy?"

"I promise, Tee….just swim with me. I know you can do it! Look how much we've done! We're such good swim buddies, right?"

Tenley nodded slowly. "We doin' good."

"You are doing good, Ten!"

"Ok, I go swimin' now."

"You will? I'm so happy Tee! Let's go. I've got you."

"Feeze!" Tenley said, pushing a wave of water toward her dad, using her mom's favorite phrase to get her and her sisters to behave.

"OK, frozen….what baby?" Jackson backed up to show her he was listening.

"Daddy holds me?"

He nodded. "Under your belly."

"Daddy don't let go?"

"Daddy won't let go." He sealed it with a kiss and she finally agreed to swim, jumping a little bit toward her dad, who immediately placed his arm under her belly, as promised.

"Again, again!" she was begging, by their fifth lap. April and Bellie were watching and cheering her on at this point. Their fight was at a stalemate. Neither of them felt like being swim buddies anymore, so watching Tee was a good distraction.

Jackson took a deep breath as Tenley started her sixth lap. He knew what he wanted to do, what he had to do. His swim instructor had done it to him, he had done it to Bellie.

He nodded at April, but she shook her head. Arabella was braver than Tenley, more athletic, less sensitive, and even a little bit older when he taught her to swim. Jackson was expecting "You breaked you promise, meanie!" But if he broke his promise to Tenley, that's not what he was going to get.

But Jackson believed she could do it. Sometimes Averys needed a push. He'd needed them in his life. He let go.

As soon as he did, he regretted it. She'd sensed he let go and immediately and panicked, arms flailing. He was there to help her. But in her panic, Tenley swallowed water.

"Mama! I want my mama!" Tenley screamed, gasping for air.

April was next to her instantly, and Jackson reluctantly handed her over, not meeting his wife's eyes. "I'm here baby. I'm right here." She kissed her daughter's cheeks. "You did so good, sweetheart…you did good! You're alright! Daddy was just trying to teach you. He was right there…he wasn't gonna let anything happen to you."

"Not a promiser!"

"No, I guess he's not a good promiser, baby. But that's how Bellie learned, right sweetie?"

She sighed, but nodded. "It so dumb but, das how you learns, Tee!" Bellie shrugged, but rolled her eyes at her father.

"Wanna get out!"

"OK, baby. You want to get a snack and go color with Daddy? You can do that, right? Daddy will cut up apples and cheesy for you. Maybe you can show daddy how you play with Braelyn?"

"Yeah princess, let's do that. I'm sorry sweetheart. I just…you weren't ready…I'm sorry." He looked down, ashamed.

April wanted to help encourage Tee to play with her dad. They needed time together. Though she was frustrated with Jackson, she knew he had good enough intensions.

"No! We not buddies!" She looked toward Jackson and away quickly. "Mama, pease we play?"

She sighed, but quickly headed out of the water with her daughter in her arms. "OK, we'll go for a little bit. You need to cool down?"

Tee nodded. "Coo down…"

"Later, we'll listen to daddy say sorry, Ok? Give him hugs and kisses?"

Tenley nodded, but said, "Mama, you my buddy, not my dad!"

"Oh sweetheart…of course. Daddy's your buddy too. He loves you so much." She draped a towel around Tee.

The little girl just shrugged, distracted by something in the pool. April turned to see why.

"Daddy, throw me higher!" Bellie was squealing with delight as Jackson caught her, playfully smothering her face with kisses.

Jackson wasn't doing anything on purpose. April knew he tried his best. Tenley was just harder for him to connect with. The relationship was hard for both of them. It broke April's heart, but she hoped they just needed time.